1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to games of chance and more particularly to an improved form of the classical game of roulette incorporating an additional betting opportunity.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The game of roulette is a well-established game of chance played in casinos worldwide. The roulette wheel itself comprises a horizontal wheel having numbered pockets around its periphery mounted at the bottom of a bowl-shaped housing and adapted to rotate about a vertical axis. The number of each pocket is typically displayed adjacent to the pocket, and each number has an associated color, e.g., red or black, typically indicated by the color of the background on which the number is marked. A conventional American roulette wheel has thirty-eight numbered pockets displaying the numbers 1 through 36 (each assigned a color of red or black), and the house numbers 0 and 00 (typically assigned the color green). In playing the game players bet on the outcome of a number selection made by operation of the roulette wheel as described below. The bets are made on a gaming layout (illustrated in FIG. 1), located on the gaming table adjacent to the wheel, which displays the numbers of the pockets on the roulette wheel and their characteristics, i.e., parity (odd or even) and color (red or black). Players signify their bets on the possible numbers selected by the operation of the roulette wheel by placing chips or markers at predetermined locations on the betting layout. Once the bets have been placed the operator or croupier introduces a small ball into the bowl surrounding the spinning wheel and projects the ball tangentially within the bowl, generally in a direction opposite to the rotation of the wheel. The ball may roll around the interior of the bowl several times before it loses speed and falls toward the center of the bowl, where it encounters the spinning roulette wheel. Eventually the ball becomes trapped in one of the numbered pockets of the wheel, thereby defining the outcome of the play. Bets are paid on the winning outcome i.e., numbers, combinations of numbers or characteristics of the numbers, according to the conventional odds associated with the game of roulette.
Typically, the roulette betting layout as shown in FIG. 1 contains the numbers 1-36 as well as 0 and 00 each displayed in an individual cell on a background of its designated color. (In the layout more common in Europe only the number 0 is used in addition to the numbers 1-36, and the roulette wheel has only thirty-seven pockets.) Bets may be made on individual numbers, by placing markers thereon, or on combinations of adjacent numbers, by placing markers on dividing lines between the numbered cells. Certain locations on the betting layout are defined for bets on certain combinations of numbers, or on red or black, or on odd or even. The payoff odds for a bet on a winning outcome are determined by the probability of the occurrence of a particular outcome. For example, a bet on an individual number pays 35 to 1, a bet on the combination of numbers 1-18 pays 2 to 1, and a bet on odd or even or red or black pays even money.
While roulette is a very popular game, it has suffered in comparison with some other modern games of chance because it does not provide the possibility of a very large payout for any of the defined bets. Traditionally, the greatest return on a bet is 35 to 1, which is the payoff for a bet on a single number. There has been no possibility of a large win such as is possible in certain slot machine gaming devices, for example.
Some attempts have been made to improve upon the established roulette game. U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,631, to Tela, discloses a slightly different arrangement for the numbers on a roulette betting layout which is said to provide a better understanding of the betting for a player. However, this game also does not provide a betting opportunity having a large payout.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,042,810, to Williams, discloses a roulette game in which one or more jackpots are accumulated based on the total amount bet at the table. The jackpots are won when a predetermined event occurs, e.g., the same number occurs on three successive plays. In order to determine the winning player each number is apparently assigned to one of a few groups of numbers, each group identified by a unique color, and the players use chips of corresponding colors in playing. The jackpot is paid to the player playing with chips of the color to which the winning number is assigned. This scheme adds to the game of roulette a jackpot feature that pays a large sum. However, the payout bears little or no relation to the bettor's choice of numbers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,259,616, to Bergman, discloses a slot machine having a display that resembles a simplified roulette wheel. The player places a bet by depositing a coin or the like and selects a number by depressing a key. The machine then generates one of the numbers on the wheel display using a random number generator. If the chosen number is generated, a second random number generator determines a multiplier that determines the value of the payout for the win. The slot machine game of Bergman, however, resembles a conventional slot machine, and is not such as to appeal to person interested in playing the classical game of roulette.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,269, to Elder, discloses a slot machine-type game having a display area exhibiting a collection of numbers, typically the digits 0 through 9. A player places a bet by inserting a coin or the like, selects a number by pressing a selection button and initiates play by pressing a start button. The machine proceeds to illuminate the numbers in a random order, each number being illuminated for a brief period of time. The player tries to stop the display on his chosen number by depressing a stop button while his chosen number is illuminated. If he is successful the machine pays a reward. If the player does not make a selection within a predetermined period of time the machine will automatically stop at one of the numbers at random and pay if that random number is the same as the number selected by the player. This machine resembles a pure random number matching game, and would not be expected to appeal to the person seeking to play classical roulette.
Consequently, a need has continued to exist for a roulette game that enhances interest in the game by enabling the possibility of a large payout for a single bet.